The Crookston Area Chamber Ambassadors gathered to recognize, honor, and congratulate an innovative business in Crookston, Sunrich Products, LLC, formally SunOpta.
The Sunrich Products C-suite and integral staff congregated with the Crookston Area Chamber, in addition to other business members of the Crookston community, to give a little history in addition to current events in their Crookston location, which is the headquarters of the leading sunflower producer.
Sunrich Products’ staff took turns speaking to the global corporation about the magnitude of details in which they specialize. The organization, which was once Dahlgren’s over a decade ago, followed by SunOpta, and now Sunrich Products, started out as predominantly bird food producers. Since then, they’ve added a premier roasting facility where they produce edible snacks such as sunflower in-shells, kernels, roasted snacks, and chickpeas. They highlighted that although the name and ownership have changed, the 114 tenured staff were retained, 80 of which are in Crookston. They went on to describe how they utilize local growers, in addition to the Sunflower Belt, which can be found in central North and South Dakota. The benefit of local growers is that they know what they are getting with the products. The Sunrich Products crew proudly talked about the quality of the products they produce, which can be considered the farm-to-table company.
The Sunrich Products crew also proudly talked through the development of the naturally non-GMO wide-range product that is ideal for school products and snacking. They prohibit the use of certain fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, and other harmful chemicals and processes. By ensuring a nut-free facility, their products prove safe for those who are concerned with allergens.
Front row- First row: Janelle Wald (Chamber Executive Director) and Carrie Bergquist (RiverView Health/Chamber Board of Directors)
